


love was out to get me / that's the way it seemed

by bigembarrassingheart



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, it's therapy time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26113603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigembarrassingheart/pseuds/bigembarrassingheart
Summary: They were lying in the back of his truck, staring at the night sky, curled into each other. Dante laughed.
Relationships: Aristotle Mendoza/Dante Quintana
Kudos: 76





	love was out to get me / that's the way it seemed

“Why do you like me?” Ari asked, quietly. They were lying in the back of his truck, staring at the night sky, curled into each other. Dante laughed.

“What do you mean, why do you like me? You’re not secretly some serial killer, are you?”

Ari playfully shoved him. “No!”. He laid his head on Dante’s chest. “It’s just, I’m just plain old me. Just Ari. What’s so special about me?” It sounded so pathetic, saying that, but he couldn’t get it out of his head.

Dante sighed and ran his hand through Ari’s hair. “Come on, don’t say stuff like that. It’s just that you’re used to yourself, so you can’t see all the things that me and other people love you for.” 

“Yeah. Just forget about it.” He hated feeling like this, saying stuff and knowing it was stupid before it was out of his mouth. 

“Ari, I want to tell you what I like about you.” He kissed Ari’s forehead. “Because I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Like, remember when we first met. I was watching you, just kicking your feet in the pool. I could tell you wanted to swim, but you were too afraid to ask for help.”

“So that’s why you like me? Cause I’m afraid?” This time, it was Dante’s turn for a shove.

“No, I’m not done! What I was saying is that even though you didn’t want to ask for help, when I said I would teach you, you agreed. Even though you like to act so tough, I know you’re soft on the inside. That’s what I like about you. The way you open up.”

Ari turned to face him. “Thanks for humouring me”.  
“I don’t mind.” Dante leaned in and kissed him, so gently. “But now you have to tell me what you like about me.”

Laughing, Ari buried his face in Dante’s shirt. “Uh, I like how cultured you are, and that you know who you are. That you’ve always known who you are.”

“There was a time when I didn’t know. When I didn’t know why I thought about you so much.”

“But even if you didn’t know who you were, you’ve always been so open and not afraid of feeling.” He paused, took a deep breath. Got ready to tell the truth. “I guess, I uh like you because you’re not like me.”

Ari swallowed, tried to keep it together. 

“Oh, Ari.” Dante whispered. “You don’t have to be so mean to yourself.”  
“It’s the truth.” Ari whispered back, hating himself for hating himself. 

“You’re wonderful. I mean it.”   
Ari sighed, closed his eyes. “I’m just so angry. And I don’t know how to stop.”

“Are you angry right now?”  
“Not really,” he muttered.  
“Then you’re already on the right track.” Dante laughed, and kissed him. 

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” He wiped his eyes, and kissed Dante again. Maybe he didn’t know who he was, but knowing he loved Dante got him a lot closer.


End file.
